Benjamin w



. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN w. OLAPP AND SEYMOUR AINSWOBTH, or SARATOGA srnmes,

- NEW YORK.

TOBOGGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,481, datedSeptember 21, 1886,

' Application filed November 28, 1885. Serial No. 184,180. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN W. CLAPP and SEYMOUR AINSWORTH, both ofSaratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga andState of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Toboggans, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figurel is a side elevation of our improved toboggan. Fig. 2 is asectional end elevation of the same enlarged, taken through the line a:m, Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to provide toboggans constructed in sucha manner that they will be stronger, stiffer, and more durable, and willcause less friction than ordinary toboggans.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of variousparts of the to boggan, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents the slats that form the bottom of the toboggan, and whichare made with their middle parts raised longitudinally and rounded, asshown at a, and with flat flanges b along their side edges, forming aribbed friction-surface. The slats A are secured to the cross pieces orbeams B by nails, screws, or rivets O, passing through the side flangesof the said slats, and through the said crosspieces B, or by screwsD,'passing through the cross-pieces B and into the thicker middle partsofthe slats A, or the slats A can be secured at their side flanges andmiddle parts at the same time. The forward ends of the slats A arecurved upward and rearward to give the usual shape to the forward end ofthe 40 toboggan. The end parts of the cross-pieces B have projections Eformed upon or attached to their upper sides, which projections arerecessed on top to receive the side bars, F. By

* this construction the side bars, F, will be raised above the sideslats, A, sufficiently to adapt them to serve as hand-rails. The sidebars,

F, can be secured to the cross-pieces B by screws G, as shown at'theright-hand end of Fig. 2, or by rivets H, as shown at the left-. handend of the said figure, or in any other suitable manner. The forwardends of the side bars, F, are left free,to give the requisite elasticityto the forward end of the toboggan. The corners of the forward end ofthe toboggan are connected with the side bars, F, or the side slats, A,by twisted or braided cords I,

in the ordinary manner, and to the lower parts of the said cords isattached the draw-cord J in the ordinary manner, as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 1. With this construction the bearing-surface ofthe toboggan will be free from screw or rivet heads or countersinks tocause friction and scratch the ice, and will polish easily and quickly,so that the toboggan will run faster and wear longer than toboggansconstructed in the ordinary manner.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent--- 1. A toboggan having its bottom formed ofa series of boards or slat-s each provided with a longitudinal centralrounded bearing-surface, and a flange at each side of the saidbearingsurface, substantially as described, whereby provision is madefor reducing and presenting smooth bearing-surfaces, as set forth.

2. In a toboggan, the combination, with the cross-pieces B, of thebottom boards or slats, A, provided with the longitudinal centralrounded bearing-surfaces, a, and side flanges, b, the said boards beingsecured to the crosspieces by rivets or screws, substantially asdescribed, whereby provision is made for facilitating the securing ofthe boards, and projections and indentations on their bearing-surfacesavoided, as set forth.

3. An improved toboggan, consisting of the boards or slats A, having therounded projecting bearing-surfaces a and side-flanges, b, thecross-pieces B, having the recessed pro- 90 jections E at their ends,and the side bars, F, secured in the said recessed projections of thecross-pieces, substantially as herein shown and described.

BENJAMIN WV. GLAPP. SEYMOUR AINSWORTH.

Witnesses:

Hermon M. SAWYER, J EssE S'rrrns.

